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WORLD
From economic and the administration, the business sector, LEGACY
social point of view, the political elites, and many American Marshall’s plan, although it is an eco-
the countries that companies were encouraged to expand
were included in the their capacities in Europe. Within four nomic recovery program, has far great-
European Recovery years, as much as Marshall’s plan lasted, er importance than the initially repre-
Program provided far the Western European countries laid sented one. This probably makes sense,
higher life standard and the foundations for the second capitalist taking into consideration that its au-
economic prosperity renaissance of the western civilization thor and promoter is not an economist,
for its citizens. Today which for several decades will provide rather a pragmatic military and politi-
these are modern exponential growth and development cal expert. In this regard, the success of
civilizations which of the economic and the social values, Marshall’s plan should be observed from
are the best places to whose consequences define the geopo- two points of view. From economic and
live in according to all litical map of developed countries in the social point of view, the countries that
standards world today. were included in the European Recovery
Program provided far higher life stan-
DOSSIER In the initial proposal, Marshall’s dard and economic prosperity for its
plan, apart from the countries from the citizens. Today these are modern civili-
Eastern Bloc, provided financial assis- zations which are the best places to live
tance for Russia which rejected this offer in according to all standards. Even a
and assesses the plan as imperialist con- country such as Greece, whose econom-
spiracy against communism and tactic ic condition was considered to have a
of the western powers directed against level of an African country after World
Russia. The Eastern European countries War II, and which is facing with a huge
that were influenced by Russia, although debt crisis, is an economic giant for all
insufficiently, rejected the offered as- surrounding countries that arise from
sistance and they were defending the the Eastern Bloc. However, from geopo-
ideological values that dominate in their litical and civilization aspect, Marshall’s
societies. This lays the foundations for plan is a social victory of pragmatism
delineation of the borders in Europe of over dogmatism. George Marshall is a
the developed and prosperous societies pragmatic strategist led by the prem-
and the ones that are characterized as ise that economic progress, thereby po-
developing countries to present day. As litical influence, is inevitable with good
a response to the revolt which occurred preparation and careful identification of
in specific Eastern European countries, the common interests. Numerous mul-
Russia promoted the so called Molotov tilateral cooperations and institutions
Plan which provides assistance for eco- in Europe and the world, including the
nomic renewal of the countries from the European Union, OSCE, OECD and oth-
Eastern Bloc. This plan remains unreal- er institutions are a legacy of Marshall’s
ized. plan. Actually, the success that Mar-
shall’s plan achieved makes him a tool
An interesting thing is that Yugoslavia, in the modern geopolitical doctrine and
after “Tito’s no” in 1948, although com- all further plans that refer to economic
munist, remained outside the sphere of and social renewal of some countries,
influence of Russia. Tito officially rejects regions or areas are called equivalents
Marshall’s plan, however later on agreed of Marshall’s plan. Still, Marshall’s suc-
with specific economic cooperation with cess is crowned by numerous awards,
the Western countries, particularly with acknowledgements and honors. Prob-
USA. Although on this issue there was ably the most important one of them is
an internal separation in USA, still Yu- the Nobel Peace Prize which he received
goslavia received important financial as- in 1953 due to his activities after World
sistance in the period 1949 – 1953, which War II.
later on continued with new grants and
credits, and the economic development Мiroslav Sazdovski
of the former state based on it.
80 May 2016
